1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket stud for tool suspension rack, and more particularly to a socket stud that slides onto a tool suspension rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
The closest prior art of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/258,607, entitled "Socket Stud For Tool Suspension Rack".
A first conventional socket suspension rack (60) in accordance with the prior art as shown in FIG. 7 comprises a square socket stud (62) containing a cavity (63), a ball (65) received in the cavity (63) partially exposed outward from the socket stud (62), a spring (64) received in the cavity (63) and pressing on the ball (65), and a holder (61) formed on the top of the socket stud (62). A socket (not shown) can be mounted on the socket stud (62), with the ball (65) detachably received in the depression (not shown) contained in the socket. The holder (61) is secured on an elongated track (not shown), thereby attaching the socket suspension rack (60) together with the socket to the elongated track. However, the spring (64) and the ball (65) must be pressed into the recess (63) after the socket stud (62) is formed by injection molding such that the assembly process of the socket suspension rack (60) is complicated, thereby increasing the cost of making it.
A second conventional socket suspension rack (70) in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 8 includes a square socket stud (71) attached to a suspension plate (72) and received in the recess (81) of a socket (80). The socket stud (71) contains an opening (73) defined in the bottom thereof, and includes a retaining stud (74) detachably received in a cavity (82) in the recess (81), thereby attaching the socket (80) to the socket stud (71) of the socket suspension rack (70). However, the opening (73) in the bottom of the socket stud (71) requires the use of two opposed molds (not shown) to make the socket stud (71), and an auxiliary mold (not shown) is additionally needed to form the opening (73), thereby increasing the cost of making the socket stud (71). In addition, the retaining stud (74) has little elasticity, thereby making it inconvenient to detach the retaining stud (74) from the cavity (82).
Referring to FIG. 9, in accordance with a third embodiment of the prior art, the square body (94) of the socket stud is attached to a socket rack (91) which includes a flat plate (92) having two distal ends formed with a C-shaped clamp (93) and a mediate portion formed with a hook (921) containing an inverted T-shaped locking recess (922). The socket (80) as shown in FIG. 8 is fit on the square body (94) of the socket rack (91) that is attached to a tool suspension rack (not shown) by attaching the hook (921) to a guide track (not shown) of the tool suspension rack (not shown), thereby hanging the socket (80) on the tool suspension rack (not shown). The C-shaped clamp (93) can be used to hold a tool such as a drive head (not shown) therein. However, the T-shaped locking recess (922) does not hold the suspension rack (not shown) very securely because it is an opened design. Therefore, the socket rack (91) is able to slide easily on the suspension rack (not shown).
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional socket stud for tool suspension rack.